On to the Senate, With a Detour in the House

Right now, first-term Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND) looks likely to be elected to the Senate seat left open by the retirement of Kent Conrad (D) in November 2012. The Crystal Ball wondered: How rare is it for someone to get such a fast elevation from the House to the Senate? (We realize some House members will insist it is a demotion.) We've scoured the records and identified nine members of the Senate in this category. Only senators in office sometime in the previous 50 years were included.

J. William Fulbright (D-AR) elected 1944

Roman L. Hruska (R-NE) elected 1954

Quentin Burdick (D-ND) elected 1960

Peter Dominick (R-CO) elected 1962

John Glenn Beall (R-MD) elected 1970

Lowell Weicker (R-CT) elected 1970

James Abourezk (D-SD) elected 1972

Rod Grams (R-MN) elected 1994

Sam Brownback (R-KS) elected 1996

Did we miss any? Email us1 and we'll give you credit in the next Crystal Ball.